Tottenham have joined West Ham in the race to sign West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, according to talkSPORT.
The Lowdown: Johnstone’s future…
Johnstone has been at The Hawthorns since 2018 and has made 154 appearances for The Baggies – 23 of which have come in the Championship this season.
The 28-year-old, labelled as ‘world class’ by Steve Bull, is out of contract in just six months time, with a number of Premier League clubs monitoring his situation.
Antonio Conte currently has Hugo Lloris and loanee Pierluigi Gollini as senior options in goal, and it seems as if Johnstone could well be a target for Spurs heading into the New Year.
The Latest: talkSPORT’s live claim
talkSPORT shared a story on Thursday lunchtime, citing on-air comments from reporter Alex Crook.
Crook claimed that Spurs have joined the likes of Newcastle, Southampton and West Ham in the race to sign Johnstone. He added that Conte is keen to keep hold of Lloris, who is in a similar contract situation to Johnstone, however, the Spurs boss is unsure when it comes to Gollini.
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“I’m hearing Tottenham are joining the likes of Newcastle, Southampton and West Ham in showing a definite interest in Sam Johnstone.
“Hugo Lloris is out of contract himself in the summer, he hasn’t agreed a new one and as of January 1st he can sign a pre-contract agreement with overseas clubs.
“I am told Antonio Conte does want to keep hold of Hugo Lloris but it would be foolhardy not to look for alternative options.
“I know Antonio Conte isn’t convinced by Pierluigi Gollini – the goalkeeper who they signed from Atalanta in the summer. I don’t think they will be taking up the option to make that permanent.
“Sam Johnstone is very much on Tottenham’s radar.”
The Verdict: Smart move?
Should Spurs not exercise their option to buy clause for Gollini in the summer, they’ll need another shot-stopper ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
Johnstone could be the perfect addition, and it appears as if he may well be available on a cut-price deal over the coming weeks due to his contract situation.
You’d expect the Baggies wouldn’t want to risk losing Johnstone for nothing in the summer, so an offer in the region of his £7.2m Transfermarkt valuation could prove to be enough.
The England international would bring Premier League experience to north London, and who knows, he could turn out to be Lloris’ long-term successor, so a transfer appears to be one to keep a close eye on.
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